Go Amerks!

[LabattBlue]

1 hour ago, JustOneParade said:

Just a heads up for you guys planning to go in for the game Wednesday. The PGA Championship is at Oak Hill this week. Restaurants may be quite busy.

Isn’t the hockey arena downtown and the golf course in the suburbs?

[JustOneParade]

1 hour ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

A real sport being overrun by a bunch of polo wearing wankers. Golf will never be a real "sport". A leisurely activity with some competition, sure. It's fun to drink some adult sodas and ride around on a golf cart, but the number of people who show up to watch that spectacle is beyond me. 

Give me guys on razor blades, missing teet and blocking frozen rubber with their bodies any day of the week. 

Sweep the Marlies! 

How great will that be to have the Marlies and the Rock vanquished by WNY teams in the same week with the Leafs getting the boot, too?

[JustOneParade]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Isn’t the hockey arena downtown and the golf course in the suburbs?

You are correct. Oak Hill is in Pittsford but it can’t absorb the number of people that will most likely be there. ROC will be busier than normal I assume.

[Amerks8796]

12 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

You are correct. Oak Hill is in Pittsford but it can’t absorb the number of people that will most likely be there. ROC will be busier than normal I assume.

Pretty much every hotel in the region is booked. They’re expecting 225,000 people this week. 

[JohnC]

13 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Was at the game today. A lot of Amerks fans in the stands.

I don’t get the Marlies at all. I don’t see anyone in that lineup that will be a future Leaf.

As someone mentioned, cleanup the PK. That was the only time the Marlies were dangerous.

The Amerks have a really nice mix of quality AHL players and young guys with NHL potential.

Kulich, Rosen, Kozak, Cederqvist, Rousek all have NHL chops at different levels.

Mersch is the leader up front. Murray plays well at the AHL level might make a 4th line for someone. Jobst is an impressive little offensive player. Warren plays well at this level.

Pilut is a star at the AHL level and Davies is a good puckmover. Impressed with how smooth Metsa is just coming into the league.

Subban is a difference maker in net. Makes all the routine save and then some great ones on top of that.

Kulich’s shot is elite. Rosen really impressed me. He has difference maker skills. Rousek should be a Sabre next season.

Does anyone know the history of Cederqvist and the Marlies? They were all running at him all game. Really had a target on his back today.

Great analysis and write-up. 

As you point out, the Sabres growing core of prospects are close to being ready for the higher league. If you add Savoie to your list, it becomes even more impressive. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Kulich,Savoie and Rousek on the NHL roster at some point next year, with Rosen needing another year to get stronger. By all account, it seems that he is coming on.

The GM has to be given credit for adding to the prospect pool instead of subtracting from it for deals that benefit the Sabres for the short-term. What's evident is that the short-term and long-term prospects are look promising for this franchise. 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

Great analysis and write-up. 

As you point out, the Sabres growing core of prospects are close to being ready for the higher league. If you add Savoie to your list, it becomes even more impressive. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Kulich,Savoie and Rousek on the NHL roster at some point next year, with Rosen needing another year to get stronger. By all account, it seems that he is coming on.

The GM has to be given credit for adding to the prospect pool instead of subtracting from it for deals that benefit the Sabres for the short-term. What's evident is that the short-term and long-term prospects are look promising for this franchise. 

 

How many current Sabres are destined to be replaced by these young guns? I like Jost but could Mason Jobst be better?

[Randall Flagg]

31 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

How many current Sabres are destined to be replaced by these young guns? I like Jost but could Mason Jobst be better?

There's somebody named Mason Jobst that might replace Tyson Jost? I think you're just pulling my leg 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

There's somebody named Mason Jobst that might replace Tyson Jost? I think you're just pulling my leg 

He’s been playing his arse off this post season.  

[tom webster]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

How many current Sabres are destined to be replaced by these young guns? I like Jost but could Mason Jobst be better?

Jobst is 29.

[Flashsabre]

Jobst is a good AHL player. He’s small but is a dynamo at the AHL level.

The fact the Amerks are on this run without Biro speaks to their depth.

[Buffalonill]

Is  o stlund playing? 

Edited May 14, 2023 by Buffalonill

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

How many current Sabres are destined to be replaced by these young guns? I like Jost but could Mason Jobst be better?

There are a few members here who are knowledgeable about the players in Rochester and their prospects as NHLers. Right now, I would think that Kulich, Rousek and Savoie (currently in the juniors) are not that far away. And from what I gather from listening to segments on WGR, Rosen is showing that in the not too distant future he will move up the ranks. The issue for him right now is to get stronger. That will naturally happen as he gets a little older. Without a doubt, the Sabres have one of the better pipelines in hockey. The GM has done a fine job. 

[Porous Five Hole]

7 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

A real sport being overrun by a bunch of polo wearing wankers. Golf will never be a real "sport". A leisurely activity with some competition, sure. It's fun to drink some adult sodas and ride around on a golf cart, but the number of people who show up to watch that spectacle is beyond me. 

Give me guys on razor blades, missing teet and blocking frozen rubber with their bodies any day of the week. 

Sweep the Marlies! 

I went to the PGA in 2013 having played five rounds of golf in my life. If you’re a beer guy, that thing can be fun.  Great shots/birdie puts are a party. Golf fans are passionate (being a hockey fan, passionate about your sport is understandable). 1) I was over-served  and 2) I had a ball. 

As for ROC on Wednesday, all of the following are walkable from the arena’s front door: 1)Dinosaur BBQ is the traditional pre-game spot, but it’s a restaurant first (and cramped at the bar). 2) Exchange Sports Bar—kinda sterile and meh. Lots of TVs. Nothing special. 3) Mythology Restaurant & Lounge—my pick if you get there early and sit at the bar.  They are kind of like the new place that gets surprised that they’re busy.  Some outdoor seating (but weather doesn’t look ideal).  Decent spot that might get crowded just because it’s a sell-out crowd. 
 

I would like to join, but I’ll have a 12 year old with me for the game. Enjoy! Definitely eat before entry because concessions will not be prepared for the number in attendance. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by Porous Five Hole

[Brawndo]

57 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Is  o stlund playing? 

No, he isn’t even practicing. Nadeau however has been 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I went to the PGA in 2013 having played five rounds of golf in my life. If you’re a beer guy, that thing can be fun.  Great shots/birdie puts are a party. Golf fans are passionate (being a hockey fan, passionate about your sport is understandable). 1) I was over-served  and 2) I had a ball. 

As for ROC on Wednesday, all of the following are walkable from the arena’s front door: 1)Dinosaur BBQ is the traditional pre-game spot, but it’s a restaurant first (and cramped at the bar). 2) Exchange Sports Bar—kinda sterile and meh. Lots of TVs. Nothing special. 3) Mythology Restaurant & Lounge—my pick if you get there early and sit at the bar.  They are kind of like the new place that gets surprised that they’re busy.  Some outdoor seating (but weather doesn’t look ideal).  Decent spot that might get crowded just because it’s a sell-out crowd. 
 

I would like to join, but I’ll have a 12 year old with me for the game. Enjoy! Definitely eat before entry because concessions will not be prepared for the number in attendance. 

For those going to the game; If going to the Dinosaur, you can order take out and then sit at the picnic tables outside.  You'll get the food a LOT quicker.  (Pretty sure  you can take drinks outside, but haven't tried that in a long time so not positive about that.)  But that still might be slow w/ the PGA in town.  The golf course is only 15-20 minutes away from downtown.

[Doohicksie]

12 hours ago, JohnC said:

As you point out, the Sabres growing core of prospects are close to being ready for the higher league. If you add Savoie to your list, it becomes even more impressive.

Sounds like late-90s Red Wings system.  They had a bunch of young prospects ready to make their mark on the NHL when they got the chance.

[Taro T]

58 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Sounds like late-90s Red Wings system.  They had a bunch of young prospects ready to make their mark on the NHL when they got the chance.

Helped that with Illitch being willing to open his wallet wide for UFA's in the capless NHL that they didn't need to trade away much of their youth to stay in the mix every year.  That and finding late round gems from Scandanavia and Russia really let them develop their kids the right way.

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

Sounds like late-90s Red Wings system.  They had a bunch of young prospects ready to make their mark on the NHL when they got the chance.

Lidstrom's NHL career spanned 1991-2012 and two key forward waves (Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan; Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen -- none of whom played in the AHL in the 90s-00s). And while their core was mostly those top-flight guys and an endless barrage of the best free agents who wanted to be there, they also hade a bunch of these guys who occasionally became core (Kronwall, Holmstrom, Osgood), but mostly were just solid contributors along the way --- and sometimes never for more than just a cup of tea in Detroit.

I recognized all of these guys: Keith Primeau, Mike Sillinger, Slava Kozlov, Darren McCarty, Martin LaPointe, Bob Boughner, Osgood, Tim Taylor, Jason York, Kris Draper, Aaron Ward, Jamie Pushor, Mike Knuble, Mathieu Dandenault, Anders Eriksson, Tomas Holmstrom, Jiri Hudler, Matt Ellis, Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Kopecky, Valtteri Filppula, Brett Lebda, Jakub Kindl, Jonathan Ericsson, Kyle Quincey. Even Ville Leino started out as a Wing! There's some solid careers and playoff contributors.

With Dahlin and Power, you're hoping to have an open window with 2-3 forward cores and 20 years of awesomeness. Keep Rochester locked and loaded.

[JohnC]

9 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Sounds like late-90s Red Wings system.  They had a bunch of young prospects ready to make their mark on the NHL when they got the chance.

In the cap era, it is even more important to have a stock of prospects to replace the players you can't keep because of contract and cap pressures. When you get to the point where your roster is full of talent, tough decisions are required to decide who to keep and who to let go. Those tough decisions are backed up by young players who are moved up through the system. To the GM's credit, not only has he stocked the system with good prospects who will replace the departed player, he also smartly extended contracts, sooner rather than later, and got good bargains for his core players. Overall, good management of resources. 

[Pimlach]

18 hours ago, JohnC said:

There are a few members here who are knowledgeable about the players in Rochester and their prospects as NHLers. Right now, I would think that Kulich, Rousek and Savoie (currently in the juniors) are not that far away. And from what I gather from listening to segments on WGR, Rosen is showing that in the not too distant future he will move up the ranks. The issue for him right now is to get stronger. That will naturally happen as he gets a little older. Without a doubt, the Sabres have one of the better pipelines in hockey. The GM has done a fine job. 

So what forwards do you purge from the current roster?   You need 3 slots to take on 3 rookies and if the rookie is not playing many minutes then he might be better off in Rochester  (Savioe excluded).  

Edited May 15, 2023 by Pimlach

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

 You need 3 slots to take on 3 rookies

1. Olofsson (move by trade to improve defense)
2. Okposo (retirement after achieving 1000 games played and 600 points)
3. Injury.... someone will get hurt during the season requiring a call up, perhaps multiple players

I expect that the opening night roster will have at most one rookie, with several in Rochester ready to make the jump.  If they're not pulling their weight, players like Jost, Olofsson, Girgs and Okie will find themselves pushed out by younger competition.  This is what we've been waiting a long time for.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

So what forwards do you purge from the current roster?   You need 3 slots to take on 3 rookies and if the rookie is not playing many minutes then he might be better off in Rochester  (Savioe excluded).  

Last year's depth chart, based on ice time:

• Tuch
• Thompson
• Skinner
• Cozens
• Mittelstadt
• OKposo
• Olofsson
• Greenway
• Quinn
• Krebs
• Peterka
• Girgensons
• Jost
• Hinostroza

14 slots, 4 free agents, including the 3 least-used forwards. I think most of us believe Olofsson could be moved.

To me, the Sabres enter the off-season with 9 of 14 forward position locked up, five TBD. Whether Adams will give some or any of the slots to kids, I have no idea, but history suggests there will be a path for any of them earn it.

Edited May 15, 2023 by dudacek

[pastajoe]

Goalie Joseph Woll has been assigned to the Marlies. 😬

[Porous Five Hole]

35 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

Goalie Joseph Woll has been assigned to the Marlies. 😬

Balls!

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, pastajoe said:

Goalie Joseph Woll has been assigned to the Marlies. 😬

Just means he gets to go through 2 handshake lines in 1 week, both times as the guy right ahead of the coaches from the loser line.